My main problems w/ Zeid's imprisonement:
1) The song is 1 year old and not offensive.
2) We need constitution overhaul.
#FreeZeid#Lebanon

A singer has been arrested in Lebanon and is now facing up to two years in jail for defaming the president, over a song he wrote that called on former army chief of staff Michel Suleiman to ‘Go Home’. Zeid Hamdan was released after an online campaign, but faces charges of defaming Suleiman in his video.

Even stranger is the fact that the song was not entirely critical of the soldier-turned-president:

In the lyrics of the song, inspired by Sleiman’s election to the presidency, Hamdan urges the president to rid the country of militias, warlords and corruption […] it went viral in cyberspace, thanks to an amusing music video directed by Gigi Roccati.

Noting that “Zeid explained at the time that […] he saw the election of General Suleiman as a positive step”, this commentator points to the nub of the issue – freedom of expression:

While it’s tempting to defend Zeid on the basis that the song isn’t actually offensive, I think this is the wrong approach. What we need to defend here is the freedom of expression, without qualifications, and push for abolishing the archaic laws that provide the legal basis for such arrests. No politician or public figure should be beyond critique…

Speaking after his release, Hamdan gave this interview, as his case once again gave Lebanese people cause to question the links between the ballot box and the bullet:

“This is a big issue, but it’s not about me. It’s about what’s allowed and what’s forbidden in this country […] I truly believe that military power should not interfere with political power. They are two separate institutions. It is essential that we learn that if we want to build a democracy."